Cheesy vegetable chowder is a thick, creamy soup loaded with potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and celery, finished with two cups of melted cheddar. It eats like broccoli cheese soup and potato soup in one bowl. A separate butter, flour and milk sauce gives it real body, and the cheese goes in off the heat so it melts smooth. It is a warming dinner for a cold night and an easy way to get a pile of vegetables onto the table.
How to make cheesy vegetable chowder: Sauté carrots, celery, onion and garlic in butter. Add chicken broth, potatoes, celery root and seasonings and simmer for 15 minutes. Add broccoli and cauliflower and cook 5 to 7 minutes more. In another pan, cook butter and flour, whisk in milk until thick and add half-and-half. Stir the sauce into the soup, turn off the heat and stir in cheddar.
Why You’ll Love It
- Full of vegetables. Seven kinds in one pot.
- Thick, not thin. A flour and milk sauce makes it spoon-coating.
- Smooth cheese. Added off the heat, so it does not turn grainy.
- Ready in 45 minutes. Fast enough for a weeknight.
- A meal in a bowl. Add bread and dinner is done.
Ingredient Notes
Butter. Five tablespoons, divided: 1 for the vegetables and 4 for the thickener.
Carrots, celery and onion. Three large carrots, 3 stalks of celery and 1 yellow onion.
Garlic. Four cloves, minced.
Chicken broth. Four cups, low-sodium.
Russet potatoes. Three, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes.
Celery root. One, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes. It adds an earthy, celery-like flavor.
Broccoli and cauliflower. Two medium heads of broccoli, about 3 to 4 cups of florets, and 1 small head of cauliflower, about 2 cups.
Seasonings. Dried thyme, salt, black pepper and a pinch each of paprika and cayenne pepper.
Flour, milk and half-and-half. Six tablespoons of flour, 3 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of half-and-half make the creamy base.
Cheddar cheese. Two cups, medium or sharp. Cheese shredded from a block melts best.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 celery root, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 medium heads broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, medium or sharp
How to Make Cheesy Vegetable Chowder
1. Start the vegetables. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.
2. Simmer the potatoes. Stir in the chicken broth, potatoes, celery root, thyme, salt, black pepper, paprika and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender.
3. Cook the florets. Stir in the broccoli and cauliflower. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Begin the thickener. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute.
5. Add the milk. Slowly add the milk a little at a time, whisking vigorously until smooth. Keep whisking as the mixture comes to a gentle boil. When it begins to thicken, add the half-and-half.
6. Combine. Remove the thickener from the heat and pour it into the soup once the vegetables are fully cooked. Stir together, then turn off the heat.
7. Add the cheese. Gradually add the cheddar, stirring until the chowder is smooth.
How Do You Make It Thick and Cheesy Without the Cheese Turning Grainy?
With two pots and a little patience. The thickness and the cheesiness come from two separate steps, and each one has a rule.
| Goal | How it is done | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Thick | Butter and flour are cooked together, then milk is whisked in until the sauce thickens | Add the milk slowly and keep whisking, so there are no lumps |
| Creamy | Half-and-half goes into the sauce as it begins to thicken | Keep it at a gentle boil, not a hard one |
| Cheesy | Cheddar is stirred into the finished chowder | Turn off the heat first |
| Smooth | The cheese is added a handful at a time | Stir until each handful melts before adding more |
Cheddar does not like to be boiled. In a bubbling pot, it can tighten up and turn stringy or gritty, and the fat can separate. With the burner off, the chowder is still hot enough to melt the cheese but not hot enough to ruin it.
Making the thickener on its own, and not sprinkling flour into the soup, is what keeps the chowder free of floury lumps.
Tips for Success
How big should the vegetables be cut?
Cut the potatoes into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes and the celery root into 1/4-inch cubes. The celery root is firmer, so the smaller cut lets both soften together.
Why do the broccoli and cauliflower go in later?
They cook much faster than potatoes. Added for the last 5 to 7 minutes, they come out tender and still green, not mushy.
What kind of milk should I use?
Any of 1%, 2% or whole milk will work. Whole milk gives the richest chowder.
Medium or sharp cheddar?
Either one. Sharp cheddar gives a stronger cheese flavor.
Can I put cream cheese in chowder?
This chowder gets its creaminess from the milk sauce and cheddar, so it does not need any.
How Long Does It Take?
About 45 minutes: 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking. The thickener is made while the vegetables simmer, so both are ready together.
Storage & Reheating
Divide leftovers into shallow, covered containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. They keep for 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until the chowder reaches 165°F, stirring often. Milk and cheese soups can separate after freezing, so this one is best kept in the refrigerator and eaten within a few days.
What to Serve With It
Bread for dipping is a must. Try homemade cheesy garlic breadsticks or cheesy sausage squares. For more chowder, make ham and potato corn chowder or slow cooker corn chowder. And if cheese and vegetables are a hit at your house, there are the cheesy asparagus casserole and the one pot cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I thicken cheesy vegetable chowder and stir in the cheese smoothly?
Make a butter, flour and milk sauce in another pan and stir it into the soup. Then turn off the heat and add the cheddar gradually.
What vegetable goes well with cheese?
Broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes are all classic with cheddar, and all three are in this chowder.
Can I put cream cheese in chowder?
It is not used here. Cheddar and a milk sauce make this chowder creamy.
How many does it serve?
Six.
Final Notes
I shred the cheddar before I start the soup, so it is at room temperature and melts in seconds at the end. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Cheesy Vegetable Chowder
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Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 carrots large, chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth low-sodium
- 3 russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 celery root peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 heads broccoli medium, cut into florets, about 3 to 4 cups
- 1 head cauliflower small, cut into florets, about 2 cups
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk 1%, 2% or whole
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 2 cups cheddar cheese medium or sharp
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.
- Stir in the chicken broth, potatoes, celery root, thyme, salt, black pepper, paprika and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender.
- Stir in the broccoli and cauliflower. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute.
- Slowly add the milk a little at a time, whisking vigorously until smooth. Keep whisking as the mixture comes to a gentle boil. When it begins to thicken, add the half-and-half.
- Remove the thickener from the heat and pour it into the soup once the vegetables are fully cooked. Stir together, then turn off the heat.
- Gradually add the cheddar, stirring until the chowder is smooth.
